We went to four programmers from XM and four from Sirius and asked them the same question: With listeners able to choose between things like CD megachangers, digital music servers, DVD music videos, and traditional radio, what does satellite radio have to offer?
Illustrations by Eric Yang Pretty much all you need to know about satellite radio can be summed up in one paragraph. There are two services, Sirius and XM. XM offers 101 channels, with 71 of them devoted to music, and the rest to news and talk. Sirius has 100 channels (or "streams," as it calls them), 60 of them music-only.
Illustration by Bill Villareal Ah, summer. The warmth of the sun, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the taste of backyard barbeque - and your music playing too softly to hear on the patio but blasting as you walk inside for more ice cubes. As life migrates out of doors at this time of the year, your tunes don't have to get left behind.
With the drive-in theater largely a thing of the past, could outdoor video be the wave of the future? Taking video outside isn't very practical unless you live in an area with a mild year-round climate.
Photos by Ebet Roberts Molotov photo courtesy of Universal Looking through some past Austins: I told you 'bout punk-happy Donnas. You know the place where everything's Norah. . . .
Photos by Tony Cordoza Electronic program guides (EPGs) that help you choose what to watch from among hundreds of channels are built into a variety of devices from TV sets and set-top boxes to satellite receivers and hard-disk recorders. What they have in common is an onscreen display that, if it doesn't cover the TV picture, reduces the show to a small window.
Photos by Tony Cordoza The Pioneer Elite ES-DV1000 will grab your eyes as much as the DVD movies it plays will. Its sophisticated electronics are hidden inside a beguilingly simple and elegant brushed-aluminum and gray cabinet.
Photos by Tony Cordoza With all of the home theater toys out there, our inner child can't help but continually drool. But when it comes to being an adult and figuring which ones you can actually buy with the cash (or credit card) at hand, it can get to be pretty daunting.
So there I was, in the middle of a crowded and hectic Times Square, right when all the Broadway shows let out, shooting all the bright lights and action with this ultra-brand-new $3,500 camcorder.
The quest for the perfect remote control has earned a place in the pantheon of noble but futile human endeavors alongside those for the Holy Grail or a fabulous "undiscovered" wine under $10. For some people, remotes are a necessary evil, creating clutter and increasing complexity until it seems you have to solve a puzzle like Rubik's Cube just to watch a movie or play a CD.
Ilustrations by Gary Locke Do you really care? - about home-entertainment gear, that is. If you're only browsing through this issue in the doctor's waiting room, it might be low on your list.
